Radio system for long-range high speed wireless communication

ABSTRACT

One embodiment of the present invention provides a radio assembly. The radio assembly includes an antenna housing unit that houses a pair of reflectors which are situated on a front side of the antenna housing unit, a printed circuit board (PCB) that includes at least a transmitter and a receiver, and a backside cover. The PCB is situated within a cavity at a backside of the antenna housing unit and the backside cover covers the cavity, thereby enclosing the PCB within the antenna housing unit. One embodiment of the present invention provides a user interface for configuring a radio. The user interface includes a display and a number of selectable tabs presented on the display. A selection of a respective tab results in a number of user-editable fields being displayed, thereby facilitating a user in configuring and monitoring operations of the radio.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/762,814, Attorney Docket Number UBNT12-1016PSP, entitled “RADIOSYSTEM FOR LONG-RANGE HIGH-SPEED WIRELESS COMMUNICATION,” by inventorsGary Schulz, John Sanford, Lance Lascari, Christopher Fay, RichardKeniuk, Jude Lee, and Charles Macenski, filed Feb. 8, 2013.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

This disclosure is generally related to a wireless communication system.More specifically, this disclosure is related to a radio system forhigh-speed, long-range wireless communication.

2. Related Art

The rapid development of optical fibers, which permit transmission overlonger distances and at higher bandwidths, has revolutionized thetelecommunications industry and has played a major role in the advent ofthe information age. However, there are limitations to the applicationof optical fibers. Because laying optical fibers in the field canrequire a large initial investment, it is not cost effective to extendthe reach of optical fibers to sparsely populated areas, such as ruralregions or other remote, hard-to-reach areas. Moreover, in manyscenarios where a business may want to establish point-to-point linksamong multiple locations, it may not be economically feasible to lay newfibers.

On the other hand, wireless radio communication devices and systemsprovide high-speed data transmission over an air interface, making it anattractive technology for providing network connections to areas thatare not yet reached by fibers or cables. However, currently availablewireless technologies for long-range, point-to-point connectionsencounter many problems, such as limited range and poor signal quality.

SUMMARY

One embodiment of the present invention provides a radio assembly. Theradio assembly includes an antenna housing unit that houses a pair ofreflectors which are situated on a front side of the antenna housingunit, a printed circuit board (PCB) that includes at least a transmitterand a receiver, and a backside cover. The PCB is situated within acavity at a backside of the antenna housing unit and the backside covercovers the cavity, thereby enclosing the PCB within the antenna housingunit.

In a variation on this embodiment, the pair of reflectors include a pairof parabola dishes.

In a further variation, the pair of parabola dishes partially overlapwith each other.

In a further variation, the parabola dishes have different diameters,and a parabola dish with a larger diameter is coupled to the receiver.

In a variation on this embodiment, the radio assembly includes a pair offeed antennas that are coupled to the transmitter and the receiver.

In a variation on this embodiment, the radio assembly includes amounting unit for mounting the radio assembly onto a pole, wherein themounting unit is coupled to the backside of the antenna housing unit.

In a further embodiment, the mounting unit includes anazimuth-adjustment mechanism for adjusting the reflectors' azimuth andan elevation-adjustment mechanism for adjusting the reflectors'elevation.

In a variation on this embodiment, the PCB further includes afield-programmable gate array (FPGA) chip coupled to the transmitter andthe receiver.

In a further embodiment, the PCB further comprises a central processingunit (CPU) coupled to the FPGA chip.

In a variation on this embodiment, the PCB further comprises a GPSreceiver,

In a variation on this embodiment, the transmitter and the receiver areconfigured to operate in a license-free 24 GHz frequency band.

One embodiment of the present invention provides a user interface forconfiguring a radio. The user interface includes a display and a numberof selectable tabs presented on the display. A selection of a respectivetab results in a number of user-editable fields being displayed, therebyfacilitating a user in configuring and monitoring operations of theradio.

In a variation on this embodiment, the selectable tabs include a maintab, which displays current values of a plurality of configurationsettings of the radio and traffic status for a link associated with theradio.

In a variation on this embodiment, the selectable tabs include awireless tab, which enables the user to set a plurality of parametersfor a wireless link associated with the radio.

In a further variation, the plurality of parameters include at least oneof: a wireless mode of the radio, a duplex mode for the wireless link, atransmitting frequency, a receiving frequency, a transmitting outputpower, a current modulation rate, and a gain setting for a receivingantenna.

In a variation on this embodiment, the selectable tabs include a networktab, which enables the user to configure settings for a managementnetwork associated with the radio.

In a variation on this embodiment, the selectable tabs include aservices tab, which enables the user to configure management servicesassociated with the radio.

In a further variation, the management services include at least one of:a ping service, a Simple Network Monitor Protocol (SNMP) agent, a webserver, a Secure Shell (SSH) server, a Telnet server, a Network TimeProtocol (NTP) client service, a dynamic Domain Name System (DNS), asystem log service, and a device discovery service.

In a variation on this embodiment, the selectable tabs include a systemtab, which enables the user to perform at least one of the followingoperations: reboot the radio, update firmware, manage a user account,and save or upload a configuration file.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1A presents a block diagram illustrating an exemplary architectureof the RF frontend of a radio, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 1B presents a block diagram illustrating an exemplary architectureof power and control modules of a radio, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1C presents a block diagram illustrating an exemplary architectureof an IQ alignment module, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2A presents a diagram illustrating an exemplary view of a radiomounted on a pole, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2B presents a diagram illustrating an exemplary view of a radiomounted on a pole, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3A presents an exemplary view of a radio showing the front side ofthe radio, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3B presents an exemplary view of a radio showing the backside ofthe radio, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3C presents the front view and the back view of the radio, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3D presents exemplary views of the radio with the radome cover on,showing the front and backside of the radio, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3E presents the front view and the back view of the radio with theradome cover on, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4A presents a diagram illustrating an exemplary exploded view ofthe radio assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4B presents a diagram illustrating the cross-sectional view of theassembled radio, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4C presents a diagram illustrating where to apply the sealant forthe radome, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a detailed mechanical drawing of the reflectinghousing, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6A presents a diagram illustrating an exemplary exploded view ofthe backside cover subassembly, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 6B presents a diagram illustrating an exemplary view of theassembled backside cover subassembly, in accordance with an embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 6C presents a diagram illustrating a front view and cross-sectionalviews of the rear lid, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 6D illustrates the backside of the rear lid in more detail, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7A presents a diagram illustrating an exemplary view of the upperfeed-shield subassembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 7B presents detailed mechanical drawings for the upper feed-shieldsubassembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8A presents a diagram illustrating an exemplary view of the lowerfeed-shield subassembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 8B presents detailed mechanical drawings for the lower feed-shieldsubassembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9A presents the assembly view of the pole-mounting bracket mountedon a pole, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9B presents the assembly view of the radio-mounting bracketsubassembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9C presents more detailed mechanical drawings of the radio-mountingbracket, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9D presents a diagram illustrating the radio-mounting bracketmounted to a radio, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 9E presents a diagram illustrating the coupling between theradio-mounting bracket and the pole-mounting bracket, in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10A presents a diagram illustrating the radio system operating inhalf-duplex mode, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 10B presents a diagram illustrating the radio system operating infull-duplex mode, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 11A presents a diagram illustrating a radio system in a daisy chainconfiguration, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 11B presents a diagram illustrating a radio system in a ringconfiguration, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 12A presents a diagram illustrating the port cover being slid offthe backside of the radio to expose various ports, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12B presents a diagram illustrating the ports on the backside of aradio, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12C presents a diagram illustrating the fine-tuning of the wirelesslink, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 presents a diagram illustrating an exemplary view of theconfiguration interface, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 14 presents a diagram illustrating an exemplary view of theconfiguration interface, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 15 presents a diagram illustrating an exemplary view of theconfiguration interface, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 16 presents a diagram illustrating an exemplary view of theconfiguration interface, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 17 presents a diagram illustrating an exemplary view of theconfiguration interface, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 18 presents a diagram illustrating an exemplary view of theconfiguration interface, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 19 illustrates an exemplary computer system for implementing theradio-configuration interface of devices, in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 presents a diagram illustrating one variation of the receivesensitivity specifications of the radio for various modulation schemes,in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 presents a diagram illustrating one variation of the generalspecifications of the radio, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

In the figures, like reference numerals refer to the same figureelements.

All dimensions marked in the figures are in millimeters.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is presented to enable any person skilled inthe art to make and use the embodiments, and is provided in the contextof a particular application and its requirements. Various modificationsto the disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilledin the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied toother embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit andscope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present invention is notlimited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scopeconsistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.

Overview

Embodiments of the present invention provide a radio system used forhigh-speed, long-range wireless communication. In one variation, theradio system includes a pair of dual-independent 2×2 multiple-inputmultiple-output (MIMO) high-gain reflector antennas, a pair oftransceivers capable of transmitting and receiving high-speed data(beyond 1.4 Gbps) at the 24 GHz unlicensed frequency band, and auser-interface that provides plug-and-play capability. In oneconfiguration, the transceivers are capable of operating in both FDD(Frequency Division Duplex) and HDD (Hybrid Division Duplex) modes. Theunique design of the antenna provides long-range reachability (up to 13km). In addition to the 24 GHz frequency band, the radio system may alsooperate at other unlicensed or licensed frequency bands. For example,the radio system may operate at the 5 GHz frequency band. Moreover, theradio system may be configured to operate in various transmission modes.For example, in addition to a MIMO system, it is also possible for theradio system to be configured as a single-input single-output (SISO),SIMO, or MISO system. Similarly, in addition to the FDD mode, the radiosystem may operation in time-division duplex (TDD) mode or a hybrid ofTDD and FDD.

System Overview

FIG. 1A presents a block diagram illustrating an exemplary architectureof the RF frontend of a radio, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention. Note that, in FIG. 1A, the RF frontend 100 includestwo identical transmission paths and two identical receiving paths inorder to enable 2×2 MIMO.

Each transmission path includes a transmitting antenna, such as antenna104; a band-pass filter (BPF), such as BPF 106; a power amplifier (PA),such as PA 108; an RF detector, such as RF detector 110; a modulator;and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), such as DAC 112. In oneembodiment, the system uses a quadrature modulation scheme (also knownas IQ modulation), and the modulator is an IQ modulator, which includesan IQ filter (such as IQ filter 114, which also works as apre-amplifier) and an IQ up-converter (such as IQ up-converter 116). Inone embodiment, the radio system operates at the unlicensed 24 GHzfrequency band, and the IQ up-converters and the PAs are configured tooperate at the 24 GHz RF band.

Each receiving path includes a receiving antenna, such as antenna 122; aband-pass filter (BPF), such as BPF 124; a low-noise amplifier (LNA),such as LNA 126; a second BPF, such as BPF 128; a demodulator; and ananalog-to-digital converter (ADC), such as ADC 130. In one embodiment,the system uses a quadrature modulation scheme (also known as IQmodulation), and the demodulator is an IQ demodulator, which includes anIQ down-converter (such as IQ down-converter 132) and an IQ filter (suchas IQ filter 134 with adjustable bandwidth). In one embodiment, theradio system operates at the unlicensed 24 GHz frequency band, and theIQ down-converters and the LNAs are configured to operate at the 24 GHzRF band.

In FIG. 1A, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chip 102 providessignal processing capability as well as clock signals to both thetransmission and receiving paths. More particularly, FPGA 102 includes abaseband digital signal processor (DSP), which is not shown in thefigure. In addition, FPGA 102 provides an input to a DAC 142, which inturn drives a voltage-controlled crystal oscillator (VCXO) 144 togenerate a clock signal. For example, VCXO 144 may generate a 50 MHzclock signal. This low-frequency clock signal can befrequency-multiplied by fraction-N synthesizers to higher frequencysinusoidal waves, thus providing sinusoidal signals to the up- anddown-converters. In addition, the output of VCXO 144 is sent to a clockdistributor 146, which provides clock signals to the DACs, the ADCs, andthe IQ filters with adjustable bandwidth.

Also included in FIG. 1A is a GPS (Global-Positioning System) receiver152 for receiving GPS signals.

FIG. 1B presents a block diagram illustrating an exemplary architectureof power and control modules of a radio, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1B includes a power module 160for providing power to the entire radio system, a CPU 162 for providingcontrol to the radio system, and a number of control and datainterfaces.

More specifically, power module 160 includes a power supply and a numberof voltage regulators for providing power to the different components inthe radio system. CPU 162 controls the operation of the radio system,such as the configurations or operating modes of the systems, byinterfacing with FPGA chip 102. For example, the system may beconfigured as a full-duplex system where the transmitter and receiverare running concurrently in time, or a half-duplex system. To configurethe radio system, a user can access CPU 162 via a serial interface (suchas an RS-232 interface 164) or an Ethernet control interface 166. Inother words, a user is able to interact with the radio system via theserial interface or the Ethernet control interface. In one embodiment,the serial port is designated for alignments of the antennas. Ethernetdata interface 168 is the data port for uploading and downloading dataover the point-to-point link. In other words, data to be transmittedover the point-to-point link is uploaded to FPGA chip 102, whichincludes the baseband DSP, via Ethernet data interface 168; and datareceived from the point-to-point link can be downloaded from FPGA 102via Ethernet data interface 168. Each Ethernet interface includes anEthernet PHY transceiver, a transformer, and an RJ-45 connector. In oneembodiment, the Ethernet PHY transceiver is capable of operating at 10Mbps and 100 Mbps. Note that each of the interfaces (or ports) alsoincludes status LEDs for indicating the status of each port.

Other components in the radio system also include a flash memory 170coupled to CPU 162, a random-access memory (RAM) 172 (such as a DDR2memory) coupled to CPU 162, a RAM 174 coupled to FPGA 102, a clocksource 176 providing clock signals to CPU 162 and FPGA 102, and an LEDdisplay 178 with two digits displaying the received signal strength indBm.

Note that the various components (with the exception of the antennas)for the radio system shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B can be integrated onto asingle printed circuit board (PCB). Also note that FIGS. 1A and 1Bdemonstrate the architecture of a single radio. To establish apoint-to-point link, a pair of radios is needed, one for each node.

In the example shown in FIG. 1A, the modulation scheme used isquadrature modulation, which relies on orthogonally defined inphase andquadrature signals (or I- and Q-signals). To ensure orthogonalitybetween the I- and Q-signals, the amplitude of the I- and Q-signalsshould remain equal. However, in practice, a number of factors canaffect the amplitude and phase of the I- and Q-signals, thus resultingin a misalignment between these signals. A misalignment in the I- andQ-signals may result in the increased bit error rate of the demodulatedsignal due to carrier leakage and imperfect sideband cancellation.Therefore, it is desirable to align the I- and Q-signals. Such alignmentcan result in cancellation of the carrier as well as the sidebandsignals. In one embodiment of the present invention, FPGA 102 generatescalibration tones that can be used for IQ alignment purpose.

FIG. 1C presents a block diagram illustrating an exemplary architectureof an IQ alignment module, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention. IQ alignment module 180 includes two detectors 182and 184, a switch 186, a filter 188, an amplifier 190, a log amplifier192, and an ADC 194.

Note that the low-level detectors (detectors 182 and 184) are placedafter the IQ modulators, or the image-reject converters. Duringoperation, the outputs of detectors 182 and 184 are alternately fed (viaswitch 186) to a band-limited measuring receiver, which includes filter188, amplifier 190, log amplifier 192, and ADC 194. The selection of thecalibration tone frequency determines which transmitter parameter ismeasured. The combinations of tones sent basically allow detectors 182and 184 to operate as mixers with one strong tone acting as a localoscillator to convert other tones down to a low frequency that is easyto measure with low cost hardware.

Assuming that filter 188 sets its center frequency, and thus the centerfrequency of the measuring receiver, to f_(in) for selecting one tonenear f_(in) only, then one can measure the carrier leakage by measuringthe baseband signal. More specifically, in this situation, a basebandtone of ±f_(m) (=f_(RF)±f_(m) at the output of the modulator) wouldproduce a tune at f_(in) in the measuring receiver at a level that isproportional to the amount of carrier leakage. This is because the toneat f_(RF)±f_(m) acts as the local oscillator to mix down the residualcarrier that is at the frequency f_(RF). The tone level is measured byADC 194 and read by an FPGA, such as FPGA 102, for processing.Consequently, self-calibration or adjustment can be made to eliminatethe carrier leakage.

In addition to measuring carrier leakage, IQ alignment module 180 canalso be configured to measure the rejection to the sideband. To do so,in one variation, a transmitter tone is set at either +½f_(m) or−½f_(m), which can produce a measurable result proportional to the levelof undesired sideband. Because the transmitter outputs include signalsat f_(RF)±½f_(m) (the strong “local oscillator” signal for thedetectors) and opposite sideband signal, the power level seen by themeasuring receiver at f_(m) is proportional to the amount of undesiredsideband signal present (f_(m) away from the strong tone centered atf_(RF)±½f_(m)). Similar to the process of carrier leakage elimination,the sideband rejection measurement can be used for self-calibration orcancellation of the undesired sideband.

In some variations, the specific tones used by the transmitters are thenearest frequency bins already available in the IFFT function of thetransmitters. In one variation, filter 188 sets its center frequencyf_(m) at around 10.7 MHz due to the availability of low-cost filters.This frequency selection also makes implementations of the rest of thereceiver straightforward.

Implementing IQ alignment module 180 to augment the transmitters of theradio system provides continuous self-correction (or self-calibration)functionality to the transmitters. Unlike other conventional integratedtransceivers that perform some sort of corrections when “offline,”embodiments of the present invention never go offline when operating infull duplex mode, where transmitters and receivers operate at differentfrequencies. As a result, this allows for the use of IQ image rejectmixers with limited sideband rejection to be applied as quadraturemodulators and demodulators. In one variation, the IQ modulation usesZero intermediate frequency (ZIF). Note that in addition to allowingparts with modest performance to be used in areas where IQ amplitude andphase balance is critical, this automatic IQ alignment scheme alsoassures that the radio maintains sufficiently high levels of performanceacross a wide range of temperatures and signal levels.

Radio Assembly

FIG. 2A presents a diagram illustrating an exemplary view of a radiomounted on a pole, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. In FIG. 2A, a radio 202 is mounted to pole 204 via a mountingunit 206. In contrast with other conventional radios where antennas arebuilt as separate units from other radio components, such as tuners andtransceivers, various embodiments of the present invention provide anintegrated solution where other radio components are housed togetherwith the antenna. From FIG. 2A, one can see that the tuning components,as well as other radio components, are housed together with theantennas. In some variations, compact, highly efficient form factor ofthe radio system and the utilization of the worldwide license-free 24GHz band may provide cost-effective and instant deployment of the radiosystem anywhere in the world. FIG. 2B presents a diagram illustrating anexemplary view of a radio mounted on a pole, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2B, a radome is used tocover the antenna surface, thus protecting the antenna from hazardousweather.

FIG. 3A presents an exemplary view of a radio showing the front side ofthe radio, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.From FIG. 3A, one can see that the front side of radio 200 includes twocircular shaped reflectors, an upper reflector 212 and a lower reflector214; and two feed antennas, an upper feed antenna 216 and a lower feedantenna 218. In one embodiment, upper feed antenna 216 is coupled to thereceiver of the radio, whereas lower feed antenna 218 is coupled to thetransmitter of the radio. The reflecting surfaces of the reflectors arecarefully designed to ensure long-range reachability. In one embodiment,reflectors 212 and 214 are parabolic reflectors. We will describe thereflectors in more detail later.

FIG. 3B presents an exemplary view of a radio showing the backside ofthe radio, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.From FIG. 3B, one can see that the backside of radio 200 includes asubstantially rectangular enclosure 220, which houses a PCB. Note thatthe rest of the radio components, including the CPU, the FPGA, thetransmitters, the receivers, etc., can all be mounted to the single PCB.

FIG. 3C presents the front view and the back view of the radio, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. From FIG. 3C,one can see that the two reflectors together are shaped like anupside-down 8, with upper reflector 212 being a partial circle andhaving a larger radius than lower reflector 214, which is a full circle.In addition, one can see that rectangular enclosure 220 is attached tothe backside of the two reflectors. Note that the proximity of thereflectors to the PCB housed in enclosure 220 not only ensures a compactradio system, but also eliminates the need for an external cable toconnect the reflector to other radio components, thus obviating the needfor tuning the transmitter antennas.

FIG. 3D presents exemplary views of the radio with the radome cover on,showing the front and backside of the radio, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3E presents the front view andthe back view of the radio with the radome cover on, in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4A presents a diagram illustrating an exemplary exploded view ofthe radio assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. In FIG. 4A, radio 400 includes a number of major componentsas well as a number of auxiliary or connecting components. Morespecifically, the major components include a reflecting housing 402, aPCB 404, and a backside cover 406. Reflecting housing 402 includes afront portion that houses and supports the reflectors for the antennaand a back portion that together with backside cover 406 provides ahousing space for PCB 404. PCB 404 includes most radio components, suchas the CPU, the FPGA, the transmitter, and the receiver. Backside cover406 covers the backside of the radio. More specifically, backside cover406 includes a hollowed space that snugly fits PCB 404. In addition, thefins on backside cover 406 improve dissipation of heat generated by theradio.

The auxiliary components include a radome cover 408 for protecting theantenna from weather damage; an upper feed-shield subassembly 410 forshielding a feed antenna to the upper reflector; a lower feed-shieldsubassembly 412 for shielding a feed antenna to the lower reflector;heat sinks 414 for dissipating heat from components on PCB 404; thermalpads 416; microwave absorbers 418; a strap 420 for an RJ-45 connector; anumber of screws 422 for coupling together reflecting housing 402, PCB404, and backside cover 406; and a number of screw covers 424.

FIG. 4B presents a diagram illustrating the cross-sectional view of theassembled radio, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. The length unit used in the drawings is millimeters. Theupper drawing shows the cross section of the radio system and the bottomdrawing shows the front view of the assembled radio and the cuttingplane (along line FF). FIG. 4C presents a diagram illustrating where toapply the sealant for the radome, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention. In FIG. 4C, along the rims of the front surfaceof the reflecting housing, a narrow region is marked with hatched lines;the sealant needs to stay within the hatched region before and after theradome is seated and should not intrude into un-hatched regions. Inanother words, only a thin layer of sealant material should be appliedbefore the radome is installed to prevent the sealant material fromoverflowing to the un-hatched region.

FIG. 5 illustrates a detailed mechanical drawing of the reflectinghousing, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Morespecifically, FIG. 5 provides exemplary dimensions of the reflectinghousing. In the example shown in FIG. 5, all lengths are expressed inmillimeters. For example, the vertical length of the radio system, orthe sum of diameters of the upper and lower reflectors, is around 650mm. Note that such a compact size makes installation of the radio mucheasier than many of the conventional radio systems. Note that the radiosare installed outdoors, and thus a weatherproof material is needed formaking the reflecting housing. In one embodiment, a hard plasticmaterial, such as polycarbonate (PC), is used for making the reflectinghousing. To form the reflectors, a metal layer can be deposited on thefront concave surface of the reflecting housing. In one embodiment, alayer of aluminum (Al) is deposited using a physical vapor deposition(PVD) technique. In a further embodiment, before the PVD of the Allayer, the reflecting area is polished. For example, a diamond polishingprocess that meets the SPI (Society of the Plastic Industry) A-1standard can be performed before the deposition of the metal layer.

FIG. 6A presents a diagram illustrating an exemplary exploded view ofthe backside cover subassembly, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention. In FIG. 6A, a backside cover subassembly 600 includesa rear lid 602, an insulation film 604, an o-ring seal 606, a setscrew608, a washer 610, and a nut 612. More specifically, rear lid 602 coversthe backside of the radio system. In one embodiment, a material that issimilar to the one used for the reflecting housing can be used to makerear lid 602. For example, rear lid 602 can also be fabricated using PC.Insulation film 604 and o-ring seal 606 provide electrical insulation aswell as waterproofing capability, thus preventing damages caused byweather or other factors to the radio components. Various insulationmaterials can be used as insulation film 604. In one embodiment,insulation film 604 includes a Kapton® (registered trademark of DuPontof Wilmington, Del.) film. FIG. 6B presents a diagram illustrating anexemplary view of the assembled backside cover subassembly, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 6B, theinsulation film and the o-ring have been applied to the inside of therear lid. Note that the insulation film should be adhered carefully onthe inside of the rear lid and no bubbles should be formed.

FIG. 6C presents a diagram illustrating a front view and cross-sectionalviews of the rear lid, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. More specifically, the top drawing shows the front view ofthe rear lid, the middle drawing shows a cross-sectional view of therear lid across the cutting plane AA, and the bottom drawing shows apartial-sectional view of the rear lid across the cutting plane CC. Fromthe sectional views, one can see more details, including the shape anddimensions of the heat dissipation fins on the backside of the rear lid.

FIG. 6D illustrates the backside of the rear lid in more detail, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The top drawingshows the entire backside from an angle. The middle drawing shows aportion of the backside viewed from the top. The bottom drawing shows apartial-sectional view of the rear lid across a cutting plane BB.

FIG. 7A presents a diagram illustrating an exemplary view of the upperfeed-shield subassembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. In FIG. 7A, upper feed-shield subassembly 700 includes awaveguide tube 702, a spacer 704, a sub-reflector 706, a flange 708, andan RF shield 710. Waveguide tube 702 houses the waveguide of the feedantenna to the upper reflector of the radio antenna. Spacer 704separates the waveguide and sub-reflector 706; sub-reflector 706reflects the RF waves to the upper reflector. Flange 708 and the holeson it enable upper feed-shield subassembly 700 to be physically securedto other underlying structures.

FIG. 7B presents detailed mechanical drawings for the upper feed-shieldsubassembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.The upper left drawing shows the front view of the upper feed-shieldsubassembly. The upper right drawing shows a cross-sectional view of theupper feed-shield subassembly along a vertical cutting plane AA and ahorizontal cutting plane CC. The lower left drawing shows the bottomview of the upper feed-shield subassembly, illustrating in detail thebottom of RF shield 710. Note that the ridges on RF shield 710 providespace for components on the underlying FPGA board. The lower rightdrawing is a detailed drawing of a section where glue is applied toattach the sub-reflector to the spacer and the waveguide tube.

FIG. 8A presents a diagram illustrating an exemplary view of the lowerfeed-shield subassembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. In FIG. 8A, lower feed-shield subassembly 800 includes awaveguide tube 802, a spacer 804, a sub-reflector 806, a flange 808, andan RF shield 810. Waveguide tube 802 houses the waveguide of the feedantenna to the lower reflector of the radio antenna. Spacer 804separates the waveguide and sub-reflector 806; sub-reflector 806reflects the RF waves to the lower reflector. Flange 808 and the holeson it enable lower feed-shield subassembly 800 to be physically securedto other underlying structures.

FIG. 8B presents detailed mechanical drawings for the lower feed-shieldsubassembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.The upper left drawing shows the front view of the lower feed-shieldsubassembly. The upper right drawing shows a cross-sectional view of thelower feed-shield subassembly along a vertical cutting plane AA and ahorizontal cutting plane BB. The lower left drawing shows the bottomview of the lower feed-shield subassembly, illustrating in detail thebottom of RF shield 810. Note that the ridges on RF shield 810 providespace for components on the underlying FPGA board. The lower rightdrawing is a detailed drawing of a section where glue is applied toattach the sub-reflector to the spacer and the waveguide tube.

Recall the previously shown FIGS. 2A and 2B where the radio is mountedon a pole via a mounting unit. The mounting unit not only secures theradio to the pole, but also enables easy and accurate alignment of theantenna reflectors, which is important to ensure the best performance ofthe link. In general, the mounting unit includes a pole-mounting bracketand a radio-mounting bracket. The pole-mounting bracket is mounted to apole, which can be located on a rooftop or any other elevated locationin order to ensure a clear line of sight between paired radios.Moreover, the mounting location should have a clear view of the sky toensure proper GPS operation. For safety, the mounting point should be atleast one meter below the highest point on the structure, or if on atower, at least three meters below the top of the tower. Theradio-mounting bracket is mounted to the backside of the radio, and iscoupled to the pole-mounting bracket.

FIG. 9A presents the assembly view of the pole-mounting bracket mountedon a pole, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. InFIG. 9A, pole mounting bracket 902 is mounted onto a pole 904 using anumber of bolts, such as bolts 906 and 908. Pole-mounting bracket 902can be configured to fit poles of various sizes. In one embodiment,pole-mounting bracket 902 accommodates poles with diameters between 2and 4 inches. The arrow in the figure indicates the direction in whichthe radio antenna faces, that is the direction to the other radio. Notethat while aligning the antenna, a user may adjust the position of theantenna by adjusting the position (including elevation and direction) ofpole-mounting bracket 902 on pole 904.

FIG. 9B presents the assembly view of the radio-mounting bracketsubassembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.In FIG. 9B, radio-mounting bracket subassembly 900 includes a number ofbrackets and a number of connecting components (such as screws andpins). More specifically, radio-mounting bracket subassembly 900includes a pivot bracket 912, an azimuth (AZ)-adjustment bracket 914, aleft elevation-adjustment bracket 916, and a right elevation-adjustmentbracket 918. Pivot bracket 912 provides pivot points for all otheradjustment brackets. AZ-adjustment bracket 914 enables the fine-tuningof the azimuth of the antenna. More specifically, a user can adjust theazimuth of the antenna by adjusting the position of an AZ-adjustmentbolt 920 coupled to AZ-adjustment bracket 914. Similarly,elevation-adjustment brackets 916 and 918 enable the fine-tuning of theelevation of the antenna. A user can adjust the elevation of the antennaby adjusting the position of an elevation-adjustment bolt 922. In oneembodiment, the azimuth and the elevation of the antenna can be adjustedwithin a range of ±10°. A number of adjustment pins, such as adjustmentpins 924 and 926, fit to the adjustment bolts, also assist thefine-tuning of the antenna orientation. Radio-mounting bracketsubassembly 900 also includes a number of lock bolts, such as lock bolt928. In one embodiment, radio-mounting bracket subassembly 900 includes8 lock bolts. These lock bolts are loosened before and during thealignment process. After the radio has been sufficiently aligned withthe radio on the other side, these lock bolts are tightened to lock thealignment. In addition, radio-mounting bracket subassembly 900 includesfour flange screws, such as screw 930. These flange screws are used tocouple radio-mounting bracket subassembly 900 to pole mounting bracket902.

FIG. 9C presents more detailed mechanical drawings of the radio-mountingbracket, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Theupper left drawing shows the back view (viewed from the side of theradio) of the radio-mounting bracket, the lower left drawing shows thefront view of the radio-mounting bracket, the upper right drawing showsthe side view of the radio-mounting bracket, and the lower right drawingshows a detailed drawing of an adjustment bolt assembly. Note that theassemblies for the AZ-adjustment bolt and the elevation-adjustment boltare similar. In FIG. 9C, an adjustment bolt assembly 950 includes anadjustment bolt 952, a disk spring 954, an adjustment pin 956 with athrough hole, a flat washer 958, and slotted spring pin 960.

FIG. 9D presents a diagram illustrating the radio-mounting bracketmounted to a radio, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. The left drawing is the back view. The arrows in the leftdrawing point to the lock bolts. The right drawing is an angled view.The zoomed-in image shows that a 6 mm gap is needed between the head offlange screw 930 and AZ-adjustment bracket 914.

FIG. 9E presents a diagram illustrating the coupling between theradio-mounting bracket and the pole-mounting bracket, in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention. From FIG. 9E, one can see thatthe radio-mounting bracket subassembly 900 can be attached to polemounting bracket 902 by seating the flange screws on AZ-adjustmentbracket 914 to corresponding notches on pole mounting bracket 902. Notethat the flange screws can be later tightened to ensure that theradio-mounting bracket subassembly 900, and thus the radio, is securelyattached to pole mounting bracket 902.

System Configuration

The 24 GHz license-free operating frequency of the radio system makes ita preferred choice for deployment of point-to-point wireless links, suchas a wireless backhaul, because there is no need to obtain an FCC(Federal Communications Commission) license. The unique design of thehigh-gain reflector antenna provides long reachability (up to 13 Km inrange) of the radio system. Moreover, the radio system can operate inboth Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Hybrid Division Duplex (HDD)modes, thus providing the radio system with unparalleled speed andspectral efficiency, with data throughput above 1.4 Gbps. Note that HDDprovides the best of both worlds, combining the latency performance ofFDD with the spectral efficiency of Time Division Duplex (TDD).

During operation, the radio system can be configured for half-duplexoperation (which is the default setting) and full-duplex operation. FIG.10A presents a diagram illustrating the radio system operating inhalf-duplex mode, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. In FIG. 10A, radio system 1000 includes two radios, a masterradio 1002 and a slave radio 1004. Note that master and slave radios canbe similar radios with different configurations. In the example shown inFIG. 10A, the lower antenna reflectors are used for transmitting (TX)purposes, whereas the upper antenna reflectors are used for receiving(RX) purposes. When the system is configured to operate in thehalf-duplex mode, the TX and RX frequencies can be either the same ordifferent to suit local interference. Note that the half-duplex modeallows communication in one direction at a time, alternating betweentransmission and reception. As a result, the half-duplex operationprovides more frequency planning options at the cost of higher latencyand throughput.

FIG. 10B presents a diagram illustrating the radio system operating infull-duplex mode, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. When operating in the full-duplex mode, the TX and RXfrequencies should be different, thus allowing communication in bothdirections simultaneously. The full-duplex operation may provide higherthroughput and lower latency.

In one variation, high speed and lower latency may be obtained with theradios configured as a full-duplex system using Frequency DivisionDuplexing (FDD). The data streams generated by the radios aresimultaneously transferred across the wireless link. The transmitter andreceiver are running concurrently in time. Because of the trade-offbetween bandwidth resources and propagation conditions, this approach istypically reserved for links in areas where installations are in clearline-of-sight conditions and free of reflected energy such as thatgenerated by heavy rain or intermediate objects. Installations that aresubject to Fresnel reflections or highly scattered environments mayexperience some level of degradation at great ranges.

Links that are installed in environments that are highly reflective orsubject to considerable scattering due to heavy rain or foliage loss maybe better suited to half-duplex configurations. In this case thefrequency and bandwidth resources are shared on a Time DivisionDuplexing (TDD) basis, and the system can accept higher levels ofpropagation distortion. The trade-offs may include reduced throughputand slightly higher latency.

In some variations, the radio system is configured with the ability tomanage time and bandwidth resources, similar to other systems utilizingdifferent modulation schemes that are scaled according to the noise,interference, and quality of the propagation channel. The radio systemalso automatically scales its modulation based on channel quality buthas the ability to be reconfigured from a time/bandwidth perspective toallow for the best possible performance. In many regards the suitabilityof the duplexing scheme needs to be taken into account based on theultimate goals of the user. Just as channel conditions have an effect onthe modulation scheme selection, there are effects on duplexing modes toconsider as well.

When deploying the radio systems for establishing wireless communicationlinks, various configurations can be used. For example, the firstconfiguration is for point-to-point backhaul, where two radios (oneconfigured as master and one configured as slave) are used to establisha point-to-point link as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B.

FIG. 11A presents a diagram illustrating a radio system in a daisy chainconfiguration, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. As shown in FIG. 11A, in a daisy chain configuration,multiple radios are used to extend the distance of a link, like a relayfrom point to point to point. Note that the radios in the same node needto have the same master/slave configuration. FIG. 11B presents a diagramillustrating a radio system in a ring configuration, in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 11B, in a ringconfiguration, multiple radios are used to form redundant paths. Whenconfigured as a ring, if one link goes down, the other links have analternative route available. For each link, one radio is configured asmaster and the other one is configured as slave. Due to the narrowbandwidth of the radios, co-location interference is not a concern inmost cases. It is possible to co-locate multiple radios if they arepointed in different directions. If the radios are back-to-back, it iseven possible to use the same frequency. It is recommended to usedifferent frequencies for adjacent radios. Note that co-located radiosshould have the same master/slave configuration.

Before mounting the radios onto poles, the user should configure thepaired radios. The radio configurations include, but are not limited to:operating mode (master or slave) of the radio, duplex mode (full-duplexor half-duplex of the link), TX and RX frequencies, and data modulationschemes. Detailed descriptions of the configuration settings areincluded in the following section.

The installation steps include connecting Ethernet cables to the dataand configuration ports, configuring the settings of the radio using aconfiguration interface, disconnecting the cables to move the radios tomounting sites, reconnecting at the mounting sites, mounting the radios,and establishing and optimizing the RF link.

FIG. 12A presents a diagram illustrating the port cover being slid offthe backside of the radio to expose various ports, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 12A, one can slide off aport cover 1212 from the backside of the radio by pressing down on theindicator arrows.

FIG. 12B presents a diagram illustrating the ports on the backside of aradio, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. InFIG. 12B, radio 1200 includes a data port 1202, a configuration port1204, an auxiliary port 1206, and an LED display 1208. Data port 1202not only enables upload/download of link data, but also provides powerto the radio via power-over-Ethernet (PoE). During operation, anEthernet cable, such as cable 1210, can be used to couple data port 1202with a PoE adapter, which in turn couples to a power source.Configuration port 1204 enables communication between a user computerand the CPU of the radio, thus enabling the user to configure thesettings that govern the operations of the radio. In one embodiment, anEthernet cable can be used to couple configuration port 1204 with acomputer.

Auxiliary port 1206 includes an RJ-12 connector. In one embodiment,auxiliary port 1206 can be coupled to a listening device, such as aheadphone, to enable alignment of the antennas by listening to an audiotone. More specifically, while aligning the pair of antennas, one canlisten to the audio tone via the listening device coupled to auxiliaryport 1206; the higher the pitch, the stronger the signal strength, andthus the better the alignment. To ensure the best tuning result, it isrecommended that the user iteratively adjusts the AZ and elevation ofthe pair of radios one by one, starting with the slave radio, until asymmetric link (with received signal levels within 1 dB of each other)is achieved. This ensures the best possible data rate between the pairedradios. Note that adjusting the AZ and elevation of a radio can beachieved by adjusting the corresponding AZ and elevation bolts, asdiscussed in the previous section.

In addition to using the audio tone, the user can also align the pairedradios based on digital values displayed by LED display 1208. Morespecifically, LED display 1208 displays the power level of the receivedsignal. In one embodiment, values on LED display 1208 are displayed innegative dBm. For example, a number 61 represents a received signallevel of −61 dBm. Hence, lower values indicate a stronger receivedsignal level. While aligning the paired radios, the user can observe LEDdisplay 1208 to monitor the received signal strength. For best alignmentresults, a pair of installers should be used with one adjusting the AZand elevation of a radio at one end of the link, while the otherinstaller reports the received signal level at the other end of thelink.

FIG. 12C presents a diagram illustrating the fine-tuning of the wirelesslink, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Theupper drawing shows that one installer at the end of the slave radiosweeps the AZ-adjustment bolt and then sweeps the elevation-adjustmentbolt (as indicated by the arrows in the drawing) until the otherinstaller sees the strongest received signal level displayed on the LEDdisplay of the master radio. The lower drawing shows that the installerat the end of the master radio sweeps the AZ-adjustment bolt and thensweeps the elevation-adjustment bolt (as indicated by the arrows in thedrawing) until the other installer sees the strongest received signallevel displayed on the LED display of the slave radio. During alignment,the installers alternate adjustments between the paired radios until asymmetric link is achieved. Subsequently, the installers can lock thealignment on both radios by tightening all eight lock bolts on thealignment bracket. The installers should observe the LED display on eachradio to ensure that the value remains constant. If the LED valuechanges during the locking process, the installers can loosen the lockbolts, finalize the alignment of each radio again, and retighten thelock bolts.

The radio configurations include, but are not limited to: operating mode(master or slave) of the radio, duplex mode (full-duplex or half-duplexof the link), TX and RX frequencies, and data modulation schemes.Detailed descriptions of the configuration settings are included in thefollowing section.

Configuration Interface

In addition to hardware, the radio system may further includes aconfiguration interface, which is an operating system capable ofpowerful wireless and routing features, built upon a simple andintuitive user interface foundation. In one embodiment, a user canaccess the configuration interface for easy configuration and managementvia a web browser. Note that the configuration interface can be accessedin two different ways. More specifically, one can use the directcoupling to the configuration port to achieve out-of-band management.

In addition, in-band management is available via the local data port orthe data port at the other end of the link.

In some variations, before accessing the communication interface, theuser needs to make sure that the host machine is connected to the LANthat is connected to the configuration port on the radio beingconfigured. The user may also need to configure the Ethernet adapter onthe host system with a static IP address, such as one on the 192.168.1.xsubnet (for example, 192.168.1.100). Subsequently, the user can launchthe web browser, and type http://192.168.1.20 in the address field andpress enter (PC) or return (Mac). In one embodiment, a login windowappears, prompting the user for a username and password. After astandard login process, the configuration interface will appear,allowing the user to customize radio settings as needed.

FIG. 13 presents a diagram illustrating an exemplary view of theconfiguration interface, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. In FIG. 13, configuration interface 1300 includes six maintabs, each of which provides a web-based management page to configure aspecific aspect of the radio. More specifically, configuration interface1300 includes a main tab 1302, a wireless tab 1304, a network tab 1306,an advanced tab 1308, a services tab 1310, and a system tab 1312.

In some variations, the main tab 1302 displays device status,statistics, and network monitoring links. Wireless tab 1304 configuresbasic wireless settings, including the wireless mode, link name,frequency, output power, speed, RX Gain, and wireless security. Networktab 1306 configures the management network settings, Internet Protocol(IP) settings, management VLAN, and automatic IP aliasing. Advanced tab1308 provides more precise wireless interface controls, includingadvanced wireless settings and advanced Ethernet settings. Services tab1310 configures system management services: ping watchdog, SimpleNetwork Management Protocol (SNMP), servers (web, SSH, Telnet), NetworkTime Protocol (NTP) client, dynamic Domain Name System (DDNS) client,system log, and device discovery. System tab 1312 controls systemmaintenance routines, administrator account management, locationmanagement, device customization, firmware update, and configurationbackup. The user may also change the language of the web managementinterface under system tab 1312.

As shown in FIG. 13, when main tab 1302 is active, configurationinterface 1300 presents two display areas, an area 1322 for displayingvarious status information, and an area 1324 for displaying outputs ofmonitoring tools.

In the example shown in FIG. 13, area 1322 displays a summary of linkstatus information, current values of the basic configuration settings,and network settings and information. Items displayed in area 1322include, but are not limited to: device name, operating mode, RF linkstatus, link name, security, version, uptime, date, duplex, TXfrequency, RX frequency, regulatory domain, distance, current modulationrate, remote modulation rate, TX capacity, RX capacity, CONFIG MAC,CONFIG, data, chain 0/1 signal strength, internal temperature, remotechain 0/1 signal strength, remote power, GPS signal quality,latitude/longitude, altitude, and synchronization.

Device name displays the customizable name or identifier of the device.The device name (also known as the host name) is displayed inregistration screens and discovery tools. Operating mode displays themode of the radio: slave, master, or reset. RF link status displays thestatus of the radio: RF off, syncing, beaconing, registering, enabling,listening, or operational. Link name displays the customizable name oridentifier of the link. Security displays the encryption scheme, whereAES-128 is enabled at all times.

Version displays the software version of the radio configurationinterface. Uptime is the total time the device has been running sincethe latest reboot (when the device was powered up) or software upgrade.This time is displayed in days, hours, minutes, and seconds. Datedisplays the current system date and time in YEAR-MONTH-DAYHOURS:MINUTES:SECONDS format. The system date and time are retrievedfrom the Internet using NTP (Network Time Protocol). The NTP client isenabled by default on the Services tab. The radio does not have aninternal clock, and the date and time may be inaccurate if the NTPclient is disabled or the device is not connected to the Internet.

Duplex displays full-duplex or half-duplex. As discussed in the previoussection, full-duplex mode allows communication in both directionssimultaneously, and half-duplex mode allows communication in onedirection at a time, alternating between transmission and reception.

TX frequency displays the current transmit frequency. The radio uses theradio frequency specified to transmit data. RX frequency displays thecurrent receive frequency. The radio uses the radio frequency specifiedto receive data. Regulatory domain displays the regulatory domain(FCC/IC, ETSI, or Other), as determined by country selection. Distancedisplays the distance between the paired radios.

Current modulation rate displays the modulation rate, for example: 6×(64QAM MIMO), 4× (16QAM MIMO), 2× (QPSK MIMO), 1× (QPSK SISO), and ¼x(QPSK SISO). Note that if Automatic Rate Adaptation is enabled on thewireless tab, then current modulation rate displays the current speed inuse and depends on the maximum modulation rate specified on the wirelesstab and current link conditions. Remote modulation rate displays themodulation rate of the remote radio: 6× (64QAM MIMO), 4× (16QAM MIMO),2× (QPSK MIMO), 1× (QPSK SISO), and ¼x (QPSK SISO).

TX capacity displays the potential TX throughput, how much the radio cansend, after accounting for the modulation and error rates. RX capacitydisplays the potential RX throughput, how much the radio can receive,after accounting for the modulation and error rates.

CONFIG MAC displays the MAC address of the configuration port. CONFIGdisplays the speed and duplex of the configuration port. Data displaysthe speed and duplex of the data port. Chain 0/1 signal strengthdisplays the absolute power level (in dBm) of the received signal foreach chain. Changing the RX Gain on the wireless tab does not affect thesignal strength values displayed on the main tab. However, if “overload”is displayed to indicate overload condition, decrease the RX Gain.

Internal temperature displays the temperatures inside the radio formonitoring. Remote chain 0/1 signal strength displays the absolute powerlevel (in dBm) of the received signal for each chain of the remoteradio. Remote power displays the maximum average transmit output power(in dBm) of the remote radio. GPS signal quality displays GPS signalquality as a percentage value on a scale of 0-100%. Latitude andlongitude are displayed based on GPS tracking, reporting the device'scurrent latitude and longitude. In some variations, clicking the linkopens the reported latitude and longitude in a browser, for example,using Google Maps™ (registered trademark of Google Inc. of Menlo Park,Calif.). Altitude is displayed based on GPS tracking, reporting thedevice's current altitude relative to sea level. Synchronizationdisplays whether the radio uses GPS to synchronize the timing of itstransmissions. In some variation, the option of synchronization usingGPS maybe disabled. In some variation, the radio can be configuredwithout a GPS receiver or other GPS tracking electronics.

Area 1324 displays outputs of two monitoring tools that are accessiblevia the links on the main tab, performance and log. The default isperformance, which is displayed when the main tab is opened, as shown inFIG. 13. In FIG. 13, area 1324 displays two charts, the throughput chartand the capacity chart. The throughput chart displays the current datatraffic on the data port in both graphical and numerical form. Thecapacity chart displays the potential data traffic on the data port inboth graphical and numerical form. For both charts the chart scale andthroughput dimension (Bps, Kbps, Mbps) change dynamically depending onthe mean throughput value, and the statistics are updated automatically.If there is a delay in the automatic update, one can click the refreshbutton to manually update the statistics. When the log link is selectedand logging is enabled, area 1324 displays all registered system events.By default, logging is not enabled.

FIG. 14 presents a diagram illustrating an exemplary view of theconfiguration interface, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. As shown in FIG. 14, when wireless tab 1304 is active, twodisplay areas are presented to the user, including an area 1402 fordisplaying basic wireless settings and an area 1404 for displayingwireless security settings. The change button allows the user to save ortest the changes. When a user clicks on the change button, a new messageappears (not shown in FIG. 14), providing the user with three options.The user can immediately save the changes by clicking on an applybutton. To test the changes, the user can click a test button. To keepthe changes, click the apply button. If the user does not click applywithin 180 seconds (the countdown is displayed), the radio times out andresumes its earlier configuration. To cancel the changes, the user canclick the discard button.

In some variations, the basic wireless settings include, but are notlimited to: wireless mode, link name, country code, duplex mode,frequencies, output power, speed, and gain. The wireless mode can be setas master or slave. By default, the wireless mode is set as slave. Forpaired radios, one needs to be configured as master because eachpoint-to-point link must have one master. Link name is the name for thepoint-to-point link. A user can enter a selected name in the field ofthe link name.

Because each country has its own power level and frequency regulations,to ensure that the radio operates under the necessary regulatorycompliance rules, the user may select the country where the radio willbe used. The frequency settings and output power limits will be tunedaccording to the regulations of the selected country. In somevariations, the U.S. product versions are locked to the U.S. countrycode, as illustrated in FIG. 14, to ensure compliance with governmentregulations.

In this example, the duplex field includes two selections: half-duplexor full-duplex. The TX frequency field allows the user to select atransmit frequency. Note that the TX frequency on the master should beused as the RX frequency on the slave, and vice versa. The RX frequencyfield allows a user to select a receive frequency. The output powerfield defines the maximum average transmit output power (in dBm) of theradio. A user can use the slider or manually enter the output powervalue. The transmit power level maximum is limited according to thecountry regulations. The maximum modulation rate field displays eitherthe maximum modulation rate or the modulation rate. Note that highermodulations support greater throughput but generally require stronger RFsignals and higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In some variations, bydefault, automatic rate adaptation is enabled, as shown in FIG. 14, andthe maximum modulation rate is displayed. This allows the radio toautomatically adjust the modulation rate to changing RF signalconditions. Under certain conditions, a user may prefer to lock themaximum modulation rate to a lower setting to improve link performance.When automatic rate adaptation is disabled, the modulation rate isdisplayed, and the user can lock the modulation rate to a selectedsetting. In some variations, there are five possible modulation choices:6× (64QAM MIMO), 4× (16QAM MIMO), 2× (QPSK MIMO), 1× (QPSK SISO), and ¼x(QPSK SISO). The RX Gain field allows the user to select the appropriategain for the RX antenna: high (default) or low. One can select RX Gainas low if the link is very short or being tested to prevent the signalfrom being distorted.

In FIG. 14, area 1404 displays wireless security settings, where128-bit, AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption is used at alltimes. The security settings include a key type field, which specifiesthe character format (HEX or ASCII), and a key field, which specifiesthe format of the MAC address.

Note that the same wireless settings should be applied to the radio atthe other end of the point-to-point link with the exception of thewireless mode (one needs to be configured as master and the other asslave), and the TX and RX frequencies (the TX frequency on the mastershould be used as the RX frequency on the slave, and vice versa).

FIG. 15 presents a diagram illustrating an exemplary view of theconfiguration interface, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. As shown in FIG. 15, when network tab 1306 is active, adisplay area 1502 is presented to the user, which allows the user toconfigure settings for the management network. The change button allowsa user to save or test the changes.

The in-band management field allows a user to enable or disable in-bandmanagement, which is available via the data port of the local radio orthe data port of the remote radio. In-band management is enabled bydefault, as shown in FIG. 15. Out-of-band management is available viathe configuration port, which is enabled by default. The configurationport and the in-band management share the default IP address of192.168.1.20.

The management IP address field includes two choices: DHCP or static.When DHCP is selected, the local DHCP server assigns a dynamic IPaddress, gateway IP address, and DNS address to the radio. It isrecommended to choose the static option, where a static IP address isassigned to the radio, as shown in FIG. 15.

When a static IP address is selected, area 1502 displays the followingfields: IP address, netmask, gateway IP, primary DNS IP, secondary DNSIP, management VLAN, and auto IP aliasing. The IP address fieldspecifies the IP address of the radio. This IP will be used for devicemanagement purposes. When the netmask is expanded into its binary form,the netmask field provides a mapping to define which portions of the IPaddress range are used for the network devices and which portions areused for host devices. The netmask defines the address space of theradio's network segment. For example, in FIG. 15, the netmask fielddisplays 255.255.255.0 (or “/24”), which is commonly used on many ClassC IP networks.

The gateway IP is the IP address of the host router, which provides thepoint of connection to the Internet. This can be a DSL modem, cablemodem, or WISP gateway router. The radio directs data packets to thegateway if the destination host is not within the local network. Theprimary DNS IP specifies the IP address of the primary DNS (Domain NameSystem) server. The secondary DNS IP specifies the IP address of thesecondary DNS server. Note that this entry is optional and used only ifthe primary DNS server is not responding.

The management VLAN field allows the user to enable the management VLAN,which results in the system automatically creating a management VirtualLocal Area Network (VLAN). In some variations, when management VLAN isenabled, a VLAN ID filed appears (not shown in the figure) to allow theuser to enter a unique VLAN ID from 2 to 4094. When the auto IP aliasingoption is enabled, the system automatically generates an IP address forthe corresponding WLAN/LAN interface. The generated IP address is aunique Class B IP address from the 169.254.X.Y range (netmask255.255.0.0), which is intended for use within the same network segmentonly. The auto IP always starts with 169.254.X.Y, with X and Y being thelast two octets from the MAC address of the radio. For example, if theMAC address is 00:15:6 D:A3:04:FB, then the generated unique auto IPwill be 169.254.4.251. The hexadecimal value, FB, converts to thedecimal value, 251. This auto IP aliasing setting can be useful becausethe user can still access and manage devices even if the user loses,misconfigures, or forgets their IP addresses. Because an auto IP addressis based on the last two octets of the MAC address, the user candetermine the IP address of a device if he knows its MAC address.

FIG. 16 presents a diagram illustrating an exemplary view of theconfiguration interface, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. As shown in FIG. 16, when advanced tab 1308 is active,display areas 1602 and 1604 are presented to the user, which allow theuser to configure advanced wireless and Ethernet settings, respectively.Display area 1602 includes a GPS clock synchronization field, whichallows the user to enable or disable the use of GPS to synchronize thetiming of its transmissions. By default, option is disabled, as shown inFIG. 16. Display area 1604 includes a CONFIG speed field and a dataspeed field. The CONFIG speed field allows the user to set the speed ofthe configuration port. By default, this option is auto, as shown inFIG. 16, where the radio automatically negotiates transmissionparameters, such as speed and duplex, with its counterpart. A user canalso manually specify the maximum transmission link speed and duplexmode by selecting one of the following options: 100 Mbps-full, 100Mbps-half, 10 Mbps-full, or 10 Mbps-half. The data speed field allowsthe user to set the data speed. By default, this option is auto, asshown in FIG. 16. When negotiating the transmission parameters, thenetworked devices first share their capabilities and then choose thefastest transmission mode they both support. The change button allows auser to save or test the changes.

FIG. 17 presents a diagram illustrating an exemplary view of theconfiguration interface, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. As shown in FIG. 17, when services tab 1310 is active, anumber of display areas are presented to the user to allow the user toconfigure system management services, including but not limited to: pingwatchdog, SNMP agent, web server, SSH server, Telnet server, NTP client,dynamic DNS, system log, and device discovery. The change button allowsthe user to save or test the changes.

In some variations, ping watchdog sets the radio to continuously ping auser-defined IP address (it can be the Internet gateway, for example).If it is unable to ping under the user-defined constraints, then theradio will automatically reboot. This option creates a kind of“fail-proof” mechanism. Ping watchdog is dedicated to continuousmonitoring of the specific connection to the remote host using the pingtool. The ping tool works by sending ICMP echo request packets to thetarget host and listening for ICMP echo response replies. If the definednumber of replies is not received, the tool reboots the radio. As shownin FIG. 17, a user can enable the ping watchdog option to activate thefields in display area 1702, which include an IP address to ping field,a ping interval field, a startup delay field, a failure count to rebootfield, and a save support info option.

The IP address to ping field specifies the IP address of the target tobe monitored by the ping watchdog. The ping interval field specifies thetime interval (in seconds) between the ICMP echo requests that are sentby the Ping watchdog. The default value is 300 seconds. The startupdelay field specifies the initial time delay (in seconds) until thefirst ICMP echo requests are sent by the ping watchdog. The defaultvalue is 300 seconds. The startup delay value should be at least 60seconds because the network interface and wireless connectioninitialization takes a considerable amount of time if the radio isrebooted. The failure count to reboot field specifies a number of ICMPecho response replies. If the specified number of ICMP echo responsepackets is not received continuously, the ping watchdog will reboot theradio. The default value is 3. The save support info option generates asupport information file when enabled.

Simple Network Monitor Protocol (SNMP) is an application layer protocolthat facilitates the exchange of management information between networkdevices. Network administrators use SNMP to monitor network-attacheddevices for issues that warrant attention. The radio includes an SNMPagent, which does the following: provide an interface for devicemonitoring using SNMP, communicate with SNMP management applications fornetwork provisioning, allow network administrators to monitor networkperformance and troubleshoot network problems.

In some variations, as shown in FIG. 17, a user can enable the SNMPagent, and the fields in display area 1704, which include SNMPcommunity, contact, and location, are activated. The SNMP communityfield specifies the SNMP community string. It is required toauthenticate access to Management Information Base (MIB) objects andfunctions as an embedded password. The radio also supports a read-onlycommunity string; authorized management stations have read access to allthe objects in the MIB except the community strings, but do not havewrite access. The radio supports SNMP v1. The default SNMP community ispublic. The contact field specifies the contact that should be notifiedin case of emergency. The location field specifies the physical locationof the radio.

As shown in FIG. 17, configuration options of the web server aredisplayed in display area 1706, including an option to enable secureconnection (HTTPS), a secure server port field (active only when HTTPSis enabled), a server port field, and a session timeout field. When thesecure connection is enabled, the web server uses the secure HTTPS mode.When secure HTTPS mode is used, the secure server port field specifiesthe TCP/IP port of the web server. If the HTTP mode is used, the serverport field specifies the TCP/IP port of the web server, as shown in FIG.17. The session timeout field specifies the maximum timeout before thesession expires. Once a session expires, the user needs to log in againusing the username and password.

A number of SSH server parameters can be set in display area 1708. TheSSH server option enables SSH access to the radio. When SSH is enabled,the server port field specifies the TCP/IP port of the SSH server. Whenthe password authentication option is enabled, the user needs to beauthenticated using administrator credentials to gain SSH access to theradio; otherwise, an authorized key is required. A user can click editin the authorized keys field to import a public key file for SSH accessto the radio instead of using an admin password.

The Telnet server parameter can be set in display area 1710. When theTelnet server option is enabled, the system activates Telnet access tothe radio, and the server port field specifies the TCP/IP port of theTelnet server.

Network Time Protocol (NTP) is a protocol for synchronizing the clocksof computer systems over packet-switched, variable-latency datanetworks. One can use it to set the system time on the radio. If the logoption is enabled, then the system time is reported next to every logentry that registers a system event. The NTP client parameter can be setin display area 1712. When the NTP client option is enabled, the radioobtains the system time from a time server on the Internet. The NTPserver field specifies the IP address or domain name of the NTP server.

Domain Name System (DNS) translates domain names to IP addresses; eachDNS server on the Internet holds these mappings in its respective DNSdatabase. Dynamic Domain Name System (DDNS) is a network service thatnotifies the DNS server in real time of any changes in the radio's IPsettings. Even if the radio's IP address changes, one can still accessthe radio through its domain name. The dynamic DNS parameters can be setin display area 1714. When the dynamic DNS option is enabled, the radioallows communication with the DDNS server. To do so, the user needs toenter the host name of the DDNS server in the host name field, the username of the DDNS account in the username field, and the password of theDDNS account in the password field. When the box next to the show optionis checked, the password characters are shown.

The system log parameters can be set in display area 1716. Enabling thesystem log option enables the registration routine of system log(syslog) messages. By default it is disabled. When enabled, the remotelog option enables the syslog remote sending function. As a result,system log messages are sent to a remote server, which is specified inthe remote log IP address and remote log port fields. The remote log IPaddress field specifies the host IP address that receives the syslogmessages. One should properly configure the remote host to receivesyslog protocol messages. The remote log port field specifies the TCP/IPport that receives syslog messages. 514 is the default port for thecommonly used system message logging utilities, as shown in FIG. 17.

Every logged message contains at least a system time and host name.Usually a specific service name that generates the system event is alsospecified within the message. Messages from different services havedifferent contexts and different levels of detail. Usually error,warning, or informational system service messages are reported; however,more detailed debug level messages can also be reported. The moredetailed the system messages reported, the greater the volume of logmessages generated.

The device discovery parameters can be set in display area 1718. Morespecifically, a user can enable the discovery option in order for theradio to be discovered by other devices through the discovery tool. Auser can also enable the Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) option, so theradio can send out CDP packets to share its information.

FIG. 18 presents a diagram illustrating an exemplary view of theconfiguration interface, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. As shown in FIG. 18, when system tab 1312 is active, a numberof display areas are presented to the user to provide the user with anumber of administrative options. More specifically, this page enablesthe administrator to reboot the radio, reset it to factory defaults,upload new firmware, back up or update the configuration, and configurethe administrator account. The change button allows the user to save andtest the changes.

The firmware maintenance is managed by the various fields in firmwareupdate display area 1802. The firmware version field displays thecurrent firmware version. The build number field displays the buildnumber of the firmware version. The check for updates option is enabledby default to allow the firmware to automatically check for updates. Tomanually check for an update, the user can click the check now button.One can click the upload firmware button to update the radio with newfirmware. The radio firmware update is compatible with all configurationsettings. The system configuration is preserved while the radio isupdated with a new firmware version. However, it is recommended that theuser backs up the current system configuration before updating thefirmware. Updating the firmware is a three-step procedure. First, clickthe choose file button to locate the new firmware file. In asubsequently appearing window (not shown in FIG. 18), select the fileand click open. Second, click the upload button to upload the newfirmware to the radio. Third, once the uploaded firmware version isdisplayed, click the update button to confirm. If the firmware update isin process, the user can close the firmware update window, but this doesnot cancel the firmware update. The firmware update routine can takethree to seven minutes. The radio cannot be accessed until the firmwareupdate routine is completed.

Device display area 1804 displays the device name and the interfacelanguage. The device name (host name) is the system-wide deviceidentifier. The SNMP agent reports it to authorized management stations.The device name will be used in popular router operating systems,registration screens, and discovery tools. The interface language fieldallows a user to select the language displayed in the web managementinterface. English is the default language.

Data settings display area 1806 displays time zone and startup date. Thetime zone field specifies the time zone in relation to Greenwich MeanTime (GMT). A user can enable the startup date option to change theradio's startup date. The startup date field specifies the radio'sstartup date. The user can click the calendar icon or manually enter thedate in the following format: MM/DD/YYYY. For example, for Apr. 5, 2012,enter Apr. 5, 2012 in the startup date field.

System accounts display area 1808 allows the user to change theadministrator password to protect the device from unauthorized changes.It is recommended that the user changes the default administratorpassword when initially configuring the device. Note that the read-onlyaccount check box enables the read-only account, which can only view themain tab.

Miscellaneous display area 1810 includes a reset button option. Enablingthe reset button allows the use of the radio's physical reset button. Toprevent an accidental reset to default settings, uncheck the box.

Location display area 1812 includes a latitude field and a longitudefield. After the on-board GPS determines the location of the radio, itslatitude and longitude are displayed in the respective fields. If theGPS does not have a fix on its location, then “searching for satellites”will be displayed.

Device maintenance display area 1814 enables management of the radio'smaintenance routines: reboot and support information reports. When thereboot button is clicked, the configuration interface initiates a fullreboot cycle of the radio. Reboot is the same as the hardware reboot,which is similar to the power-off and power-on cycle. The systemconfiguration stays the same after the reboot cycle completes. Anychanges that have not been applied are lost. When the support infodownload button is clicked, the configuration interface generates asupport information file that support engineers can use when providingcustomer support. This file only needs to be generated at the engineers'request.

Configuration management display area 1816 allows a user to manage theradio's configuration routines and provides the option to reset theradio to factory default settings. The radio configuration is stored ina plain text file with a “.cfg” extension. A user can back up, restore,or update the system configuration file. More specifically, a user canback up the configuration file by clicking the download button todownload the current system configuration file. To upload aconfiguration file, one can click the choose file button to locate thenew configuration file. On a subsequently appearing screen (not shown inFIG. 18), the user can select the file and click open. It is recommendedthat one should back up the current system configuration beforeuploading the new configuration. Once the new file is open, the user canclick the upload button to upload the new configuration file to theradio. After the radio is rebooted, the settings of the newconfiguration are displayed in the wireless, network, advanced,services, and system tabs of the configuration interface. The resetbutton in the reset to factory defaults field resets the radio to thefactory default settings. This option will reboot the radio, and allfactory default settings will be restored.

FIG. 19 illustrates an exemplary computer system for implementing theradio-configuration interface of devices, in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, a computer andcommunication system 1900 includes a processor 1902, a memory 1904, anda storage device 1906. Storage device 1906 stores aradio-configuration-interface application 1908, as well as otherapplications, such as applications 1910 and 1912. During operation,radio-configuration-interface application 1908 is loaded from storagedevice 1906 into memory 1904 and then executed by processor 1902. Whileexecuting the program, processor 1902 performs the aforementionedfunctions. Computer and communication system 1900 is coupled to anoptional display 1914, keyboard 1916, and pointing device 1918. Thedisplay, keyboard, and pointing device can facilitate the use of theradio-configuration interface.

Examples of System Specifications

FIG. 20 presents a diagram illustrating one variation of the receivesensitivity specifications of the radio for various modulation schemes,in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As one cansee from FIG. 20, in this example, the higher rate modulations supportgreater throughput but generally require stronger RF signals (with lowerreceive sensitivity).

FIG. 21 presents a diagram illustrating one variation of the generalspecifications of the radio, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

The data structures and code described in this detailed description maybe stored on a computer-readable storage medium, which may be any deviceor medium that can store code and/or data for use by a computer system.In some variations, the computer-readable storage medium includes, butis not limited to, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, magnetic andoptical storage devices such as disk drives, magnetic tape, CDs (compactdiscs), DVDs (digital versatile discs or digital video discs), or othermedia capable of storing computer-readable media now known or laterdeveloped.

The methods and processes described in the detailed description sectioncan be embodied as code and/or data, which can be stored in acomputer-readable storage medium as described above. When a computersystem reads and executes the code and/or data stored on thecomputer-readable storage medium, the computer system performs themethods and processes embodied as data structures and code and storedwithin the computer-readable storage medium.

Furthermore, methods and processes described herein can be included inhardware modules or apparatus. These modules or apparatus may include,but are not limited to, an application-specific integrated circuit(ASIC) chip, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a dedicated orshared processor that executes a particular software module or a pieceof code at a particular time, and/or other programmable-logic devicesnow known or later developed. When the hardware modules or apparatus areactivated, they perform the methods and processes included within them.

The foregoing descriptions of various embodiments have been presentedonly for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intendedto be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the formsdisclosed. Accordingly, many modifications and variations will beapparent to practitioners skilled in the art. Additionally, the abovedisclosure is not intended to limit the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A radio assembly, comprising: an antenna housingunit that houses a pair of reflectors, wherein the pair of reflectorsare situated on a front side of the antenna housing unit; a printedcircuit board (PCB) comprising at least a transmitter and a receiver,wherein the PCB is situated within a cavity at a backside of the antennahousing unit; and a backside cover that covers the cavity, therebyenclosing the PCB within the antenna housing unit.
 2. The radio assemblyof claim 1, wherein the transmitter is coupled to a first reflector ofthe pair of reflectors, wherein the receiver is coupled to a secondreflector of the pair of reflectors, and wherein the transmitter iselectronically isolated from the receiver.
 3. The radio assembly ofclaim 2, wherein the transmitter and the receiver can be configured tooperate in one of: a full-duplex mode; and a half-duple mode.
 4. Theradio assembly of claim 1, wherein the pair of reflectors are formedusing a single mold.
 5. The radio assembly of claim 1, wherein the pairof reflectors includes a pair of parabolic shaped reflecting surfaces.6. The radio assembly of claim 5, wherein at least a portion of profilesof the pair of parabolic shaped reflecting surfaces overlap.
 7. Theradio assembly of claim 5, wherein the parabolic shaped reflectingsurfaces have different diameters, and wherein a reflector with a largerdiameter is coupled to the receiver.
 8. The radio assembly of claim 1,further comprising a pair of feed antennas that are coupled to thetransmitter and the receiver.
 9. The radio assembly of claim 1, furthercomprising a mounting unit for mounting the radio assembly onto a pole,wherein the mounting unit is coupled to the backside of the antennahousing unit.
 10. The radio assembly of claim 9, wherein the mountingunit includes: an azimuth-adjustment mechanism for adjusting thereflectors' azimuth; and an elevation-adjustment mechanism for adjustingthe reflectors' elevation.
 11. The radio assembly of claim 1, whereinthe PCB further comprises a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chipcoupled to the transmitter and the receiver.
 12. The radio assembly ofclaim 11, wherein the PCB further comprises a central processing unit(CPU) coupled to the FPGA chip.
 13. The radio assembly of claim 11,further comprising an Ethernet transceiver coupled to the FPGA chip. 14.The radio assembly of claim 1, wherein the PCB further comprises a GPSreceiver.
 15. The radio assembly of claim 1, wherein the transmitterfurther comprises a quadrature modulator for modulating transmittedsignals.
 16. The radio assembly of claim 15, wherein the transmitterfurther comprises an IQ alignment module for automatic alignment ofinphase and quadrature components of transmitted signals.
 17. The radioassembly of claim 1, wherein the transmitter and the receiver areconfigured to operate in a license-free 24 GHz frequency band.
 18. Auser interface for configuring a radio, comprising: a display; and anumber of selectable tabs presented on the display, wherein a selectionof a respective tab results in a number of user-editable fields beingdisplayed, thereby facilitating a user in configuring and monitoringoperations of the radio.
 19. The user interface of claim 18, wherein theselectable tabs include a main tab, which displays current values of aplurality of configuration settings of the radio and traffic status fora link associated with the radio.
 20. The user interface of claim 18,wherein the selectable tabs include a wireless tab, which enables theuser to set a plurality of parameters for a wireless link associatedwith the radio.
 21. The user interface of claim 20, wherein theplurality of parameters include at least one of: a wireless mode of theradio; a duplex mode for the wireless link; a transmitting frequency; areceiving frequency; a transmitting output power; a current modulationrate; and a gain setting for a receiving antenna.
 22. The user interfaceof claim 18, wherein the selectable tabs include a network tab, whichenables the user to configure settings for a management networkassociated with the radio.
 23. The user interface of claim 18, whereinthe selectable tabs include a services tab, which enables the user toconfigure management services associated with the radio.
 24. The userinterface of claim 23, wherein the management services include at leastone of: a ping service; a Simple Network Monitor Protocol (SNMP) agent;a web server; a Secure Shell (SSH) server; a Telnet server; a NetworkTime Protocol (NTP) client service; a dynamic Domain Name System (DNS);a system log service; and a device discovery service.
 25. The userinterface of claim 18, wherein the selectable tabs include a system tab,which enables the user to perform at least one of the followingoperations: reboot the radio; update firmware; manage a user account;and save or upload a configuration file.
 26. A method for forming aradio, comprising: placing a pair of reflectors on a front side of anantenna housing unit; placing a printed circuit board (PCB) comprisingat least a transmitter and a receiver within a cavity at a backside ofthe antenna housing unit; and placing a backside cover over the cavity,thereby enclosing the PCB within the antenna housing unit.
 27. Themethod of claim 26, further comprising: coupling the transmitter to afirst reflector of the pair of reflectors; and coupling the receiver toa second reflector of the pair of reflectors; wherein the transmitterand the receiver are electronically isolated from each other.
 28. Themethod of claim 27, further comprising configuring the transmitter andthe receiver to operate in one of: a full-duplex mode; and a half-duplemode.
 29. The method of claim 26, wherein the pair of reflectors areformed using a single mold.
 30. The method of claim 26, wherein the pairof reflectors includes a pair of parabolic shaped reflecting surfaces.31. The method of claim 30, wherein at least a portion of profiles ofthe pair of parabolic shaped reflecting surfaces overlap.
 32. The methodof claim 26, wherein the transmitter further comprises a quadraturemodulator for modulating transmitted signals.
 33. The method of claim32, wherein the transmitter further comprises an IQ alignment module forautomatic alignment of inphase and quadrature components of transmittedsignals.
 34. A wireless communication system, comprising: a pair ofradios that are in communication with each other; wherein each radiocomprises an antenna housing unit that houses a pair of reflectors thatare situated on a front side of the antenna housing unit; and whereinthe radios are configured in a way that reflectors of a first radio facereflectors of a second radio.
 35. The wireless communication system ofclaim 34, wherein the pair of reflectors includes a top parabola dishsituated above a bottom parabola dish, wherein the radios are configuredin a way that the top parabola dish of the first radio is incommunication with the bottom parabola dish of the second radio, and thebottom parabola dish of the first radio is in communication with the topparabola dish of the second radio.
 36. The wireless communication systemof claim 34, wherein the radios are configured to operate in afull-duplex mode.
 37. The wireless communication system of claim 34,wherein the radios are configured to operate in a half-duplex mode. 38.The wireless communication system of claim 34, wherein a respectiveradio further comprises a single printed circuit board (PCB), whereinthe single PCB comprises: a transmitting circuitry coupled to one of thereflectors; and a receiving circuitry coupled to the other one of thereflectors.
 39. A method for establishing a wireless communication link,comprising: placing a pair of radios that are in communication with eachother at each end of the wireless communication link; wherein each radiocomprises an antenna housing unit that houses a pair of reflectors thatare situated on a front side of the antenna housing unit; and whereinplacing the radios involves configuring reflectors of a first radio toface reflectors of a second radio.
 40. The method of claim 39, whereinthe pair of reflectors includes a top parabola dish situated above abottom parabola dish, wherein the radios are configured in a way thatthe top parabola dish of the first radio is in communication with thebottom parabola dish of the second radio, and the bottom parabola dishof the first radio is in communication with the top parabola dish of thesecond radio.
 41. The method of claim 39, further comprising configuringthe radios to operate in a full-duplex mode.
 42. The method of claim 39,further comprising configuring the radios to operate in a half-duplexmode.
 43. The method of claim 39, further comprising: coupling one ofthe reflectors to a transmitting circuitry resided on a single printedcircuit board (PCB); and coupling the other reflector to a receivingcircuitry resided on the same PCB.
 44. A method for establishing awireless communication link, comprising: at one end of the wirelesscommunication link, configuring a radio for transmitting to andreceiving from the other end of the wireless communication link wirelesssignals; wherein the radio comprises an antenna housing unit that housesa pair of reflectors that are situated on a front side of the antennahousing unit; and wherein configuring the radio involves placing thereflectors to face the other end of the wireless communication link. 45.The method of claim 44, wherein the pair of reflectors includes a topparabola dish situated above a bottom parabola dish.
 46. The method ofclaim 44, further comprising configuring the radio to operate in afull-duplex mode.
 47. The method of claim 44, further comprisingconfiguring the radio to operate in a half-duplex mode.
 48. The methodof claim 44, further coupling one of the reflectors to a transmittingcircuitry resided on a single printed circuit board (PCB); and couplingthe other reflector to a receiving circuitry resided on the same PCB.